Tender Is The Night (Callaways Book 10)

by Barbara Freethy

  "But you're more emotionally invested than I am. I'm supposed to be the cool, objective party."

  "I'm just as objective as you are."

  "Well, I am going to make it up to you."

  "How are you going to do that?"

  "I won't stop working on this case until we find the person who killed Sam and who almost killed you. Even if Agent Roman pulls me off the assignment, I'll work it on the side, okay? I might have to take a few hours or a day off for Mia's wedding, but other than that, I will be doing everything I can to help you. Even if I'm sent back to DC, I'll be on the computer, I'll be on the phone with you. I'll recruit Emma and whatever other members of my family I can get to help you. You won't be alone." It felt so important to make him understand that this wasn't the end, and that she wasn't giving up on the truth or on him.

  "Kate, are you done?"

  "What? You don't believe me?"

  "I believe you."

  "Really?"

  He nodded.

  "Okay, good." She blew out a breath of relief. It wasn't really about screwing up the assignment that bothered her; it was about letting Devin down. She hadn't realized until just this second how badly she'd felt about it. But she'd come to respect him, to like him, to care about him, to want him to be free of the painful weight of the past year. She knew how much this case meant to him. And while she wanted justice for Sam, mostly she wanted it for Devin.

  "Your dedication to this assignment is really impressive, Kate. I couldn't have asked for a better partner. You've gone above and beyond the call of duty. Tonight was just another bad night."

  "Tomorrow will be better," she said.

  He gave her a reluctant smile. "You're relentless in your belief."

  "That's how I get what I want. You do the same thing, Devin. Just sometimes from a more cynical place." She yawned at the end of her sentence. "I should probably go home."

  "You could do that, or you could stay here," he said.

  "Maybe that's a better idea," she agreed, thinking the last thing she wanted to do was go back out into the cold, dark night. "I'll lie down on the couch."

  "Or you could lie down here."

  His suggestion sent a tingle down her spine and definitely changed the tenor of their conversation.

  "That's not a good idea, Devin," she said, as her brain was already coming up with an argument for why it was an excellent idea.

  "It's the best one I've had all night."

  She shook her head, fighting the temptation sweeping through her. "You need to rest. You're hurt. And I'm too wired to sleep. I'd probably toss and turn and keep you awake."

  "I'm wired, too. My thoughts are running around in circles. Why didn't I do this? Why didn't I do that?"

  "Just think about something else."

  "I am thinking about something else—or I'm trying to."

  "That is not going to solve anything."

  He put his hand over hers, and she almost jumped off the bed at the heat of his touch.

  "You've been so helpful to me, Kate, I'm thinking that maybe I should start trying to be helpful, too."

  Another tingle shot through her body as his expression changed from somber to flirtatious and teasing. "Really? You want to help me?" she asked suspiciously. "Since when?"

  "Actually since a lot longer than you might think."

  "What did you have in mind?" She could barely get the words out because she had a feeling the answer was going to be more than a little tempting.

  "I could help you relax."

  "I don't think what you have in mind is going to be relaxing."

  A small smile spread across his lips. "It will be—eventually. You'll sleep like a baby—after."

  Her pulse sped up, and desire teased all of her hot spots. The look in his eyes, the promise in his voice, the warmth of his fingers as they played around hers—were all so damned irresistible.

  It was reckless, foolish, stupid, unprofessional…

  There were lots of reasons for why not, but all she could think of right now were all the reasons for why…

  She wanted to make him feel better. She wanted to make herself feel better. She didn't want to think for a while. She just wanted to escape…

  She didn't know who moved first, but suddenly the distance between them was gone, and the touch of their mouths felt like the answer to a million questions. The sparks between them had been simmering for days, and now there was no holding back. Their need for each other was released in one long, hot kiss.

  Devin's lips were firm, demanding, and possessive. This was no tender, tentative kiss of exploration for Devin. He was all in, and so was she.

  She liked a man who knew what he wanted and went after it, and she especially liked a man who enjoyed kissing her as much as Devin did.

  The deep groan in his throat between kisses, his hands threading through her hair to hold her head in place, made her pulse race even faster. Every time he lifted his head to breathe, she pulled him back to her.

  She felt rushed and crushed by desire, by want.

  Had it been a million years since she'd wanted someone as much as she wanted him? It certainly felt like it.

  She grabbed his T-shirt and pulled it up and over his head, running her hands all over his warm, hard chest, loving the feel of his muscles and his power. He was all man, and she'd never felt more feminine in her life, a feeling that increased when Devin stripped off her top and her bra, his hands rushing to cup her full, suddenly heavy, and aching breasts.

  Their mouths met again for a hungry kiss, and then Devin rolled her on to her back as he pulled the snap on her jeans and slid his hand into the heat between her legs.

  Needing no more barriers between them, she wriggled out of her jeans and panties as Devin stripped off his boxers.

  As he came back to her, she put a hand on his chest, forcing herself to take one second to think. "Wait."

  "Second thoughts already?"

  "Do you have anything?"

  "Oh, yeah, of course." He pulled open the drawer next to the bed and pulled out a couple of condoms. "Got it covered."

  "Not exactly, but you're close," she said with a grin. "Let me help."

  "You do like to be helpful, but first—it's my turn."

  He pushed her back against the pillows and turned his beautiful, intense focus completely on her. She'd seen Devin be thorough, determined, competitive, and now she knew how good it could feel to have his concentration on her pleasure.

  He kissed, stroked, licked and teased her body until she went out of her mind. She wanted to torture him, too, but he kept telling her tonight was all about her. And what woman didn't want to hear that?

  So she let him have his way with her, and he took her places she'd never been before. When they came together in passion, it was unlike anything she'd ever experienced.

  She didn't know how much time had passed, or when she'd drifted off to sleep, but at some point she became aware of the sun drifting through the windows, and a cooler air hitting the parts of her body that weren't completely draped around Devin.

  She grabbed a blanket that had fallen by the wayside and pulled it over them.

  Devin shifted and blinked his beautiful brown eyes open, giving her a sleepy but happy look.

  "I thought it was a dream," he murmured, running his hand down the side of her face. "But you're here."

  "I am here," she said, feeling a little awkward now that the night shadows had gone, and there was nowhere to hide from her impulsive actions. "I probably shouldn't be."

  "There are no rules between us, Kate, so you didn't break any."

  "Didn't I?" she asked with a little sigh, rolling onto her back as she stared at the ceiling.

  Devin turned on to his side, propping his head on one elbow as he looked at her. "So what? You feel guilty? Irresponsible? Unprofessional? Unsatisfied?"

  "Definitely not unsatisfied," she said, seeing the gleam in his eyes. "But you already knew that."

  "Still, good to have
confirmed."

  "I don't feel guilty or irresponsible or unprofessional; that's the problem. I feel good."

  He grinned. "Good enough to take a shower with me?"

  "Devin. You are way too—"

  "Tempting? Irresistible? Hot?"

  "What is it with the multiple choice questions?"

  "You seem to have trouble putting words together, Kate."

  He was right about that. She was still enjoying the delicious ache of her muscles and the memories of their night together. "Apparently, I don't wake up as fast and as sharp as you do."

  "That's why a shower would do you good. I can help you wake up."

  "You've helped me a lot already."

  He laughed, and she felt a rush of warmth that she'd been the one to put the smile on his face, to make him forget for a while the darkness he'd been living in the past year and a half. "I'm glad to hear it."

  "I'm surprised you want to spend time in the shower; I thought you'd want to get back to work right away," she said.

  His smile dimmed. "That's true." Now, he was the one to flop over on his back and stare at the ceiling. "I just don't know what the hell to do next."

  She rolled over to face him. "You know what to do."

  "Work the problem?"

  She nodded. "One step at a time."

  "We're back at square one."

  "I wouldn't go that far back. We have the partial plate, the make of the car. The police are interviewing witnesses around the fire scene. Emma is going to keep us in the loop. And tonight we have a book signing to go to where several suspects will probably be in attendance."

  A light entered his eyes. "That's right. We have the fundraiser at the bookstore."

  "There's a lot to do, Devin. We are not done by any stretch of the imagination."

  He surprised her by putting his arm around her and pulling her down for a kiss. "You're right," he said. "Thanks for the pep talk."

  "Any time."

  "You made me feel better. Now it's my turn."

  "It was your turn last time."

  "So I get two turns." His hand ran down her bare back. "Are you complaining?"

  "God, no," she said, already turned on. "Then we get back to work."

  Fifteen

  After another hour of mind-blowing fun in bed with Devin, Kate took a quick shower and then headed into the kitchen to make breakfast while Devin got dressed. Thinking about Devin made her smile.

  Who would have thought the man who had tried so hard to get rid of her now had trouble keeping his hands off her?

  She felt a little smug about that thought. But the truth was she had just as much trouble keeping her hands off him. It wasn't just the chemistry between them, either. There were already probably far too many emotions involved, at least on her part, but then she'd never been good at separating sex from feeling. She just didn't get naked with people she didn't care about.

  But she needed to put a rein on her feelings when it came to Devin. They were ships passing in the night. There was no future plan. They didn't even live in the same city. Another week together and then who knew when they'd see each other? She couldn't let herself like him too much.

  She just had a feeling she might have already crossed that line.

  So she'd step back. She could do that.

  Devin would probably do the same. It wasn't like he wanted anything that required commitment.

  They were on the same page.

  She just wished that thought made her feel a little happier.

  Turning her attention to the refrigerator, she was happy to see Devin had a fair amount of food. She grabbed eggs and vegetables and decided on a veggie scramble with turkey bacon and sourdough toast.

  Devin walked into the kitchen as she was filling two plates with food.

  He was barefoot, wearing jeans and a T-shirt, and his dark hair was still damp. He'd shaved, making the bruises around his left eye even more apparent. He looked so damn good she could eat him for breakfast.

  The smile he gave her was personal, intimate, and he followed it up by stealing a quick kiss.

  "Figured I better get that in before your walls go up," he said.

  "You have more walls than I do."

  He grinned and grabbed a piece of bacon off the plate. "Probably true. It smells good in here. Thanks for making breakfast."

  "I was hungry." She handed him a full plate. "You had all the ingredients; I just put them together."

  "Better than I could have. I'm impressed."

  "Finally, I've impressed you. Stop the clock," she said wryly.

  He grinned. "This isn't the first time you impressed me. Last night, you—"

  "I don't want to talk about last night," she said, heading over to the kitchen table where she'd set out silverware, napkins and glasses of orange juice.

  "That's unusual. Most women love to talk about last night."

  "Not me. I'm good. I'm moving on."

  Her words didn't seem to sit that well with him. His smile faded a little. "Good to know."

  "You're moving on, too," she said quickly. "I mean, it's back to business, right?"

  "Of course."

  His agreement didn't sit that well with her now. "Devin, maybe we should talk."

  "Nope. You had your chance," he said, taking a bite of his eggs. "These taste as good as they look."

  "I'm glad."

  They ate quietly for a few moments. When they'd finished, she said, "I was thinking I might run over to Emma's house this morning and see if she has any more information on last night's fire."

  Devin nodded. "That's a good idea. Although, it's not really morning."

  She looked at the clock. He was right. It was one o'clock in the afternoon. "I had no idea."

  "Do you want me to go with you?"

  "I can do it on my own. I know you want to work on researching the partial plate you got last night. I'll be back in an hour."

  "Sure. I'd offer you my car, but it's totaled."

  "I'll get a cab. What are you going to do for a car?"

  "Call my insurance company and get a rental. I should probably do that now. One of us is going to need a vehicle. We're not going to catch the arsonist from a taxi."

  She had a feeling they were going to need more than a car to catch the arsonist, but she didn't feel like pointing out what Devin already knew. She took her plate to the sink.

  "I'll do the dishes," Devin said, following her into the kitchen.

  "Okay."

  He put a hand on her arm as she was about to walk past him. "Kate, last night was amazing. You were amazing. Just for the record."

  She smiled happily. "I feel the same way. But...it can't happen again. There's nowhere for us to go with this, and we have other things to concentrate on."

  He shrugged. "We'll see."

  Her heart skipped a beat at his answer. She'd expected him to completely agree with her, not leave her with that tantalizing statement. "What does that mean?"

  "It means, we'll see."

  "It's not just up to you. I have a say in the matter."

  "Well, if you ever want to say yes again, let me know, and then we'll see."

  She rolled her eyes. "You're impossible." She yanked her arm away from him and walked across the room and grabbed her bag off the table.

  "But you still like me," he said.

  "How could I like someone as arrogant and annoying as you?"

  He laughed. "Beats the hell out of me."

  She turned and left the apartment, wondering exactly the same thing.

  * * *

  Emma opened her door, wearing yoga pants, a tank top and a tired smile. "I had a feeling I'd be seeing you today, Kate. Come in."

  "Did you get any sleep?" Kate asked, as she entered Emma's apartment.

  "A few hours. I was just making a salad for lunch. Do you want something to eat?"

  "No, thanks, I just ate." She smiled at the tall, dark-haired man who was sitting at the kitchen table, a laptop in front of him. "Hi, Max
."

  Emma's husband got up and gave her a hug. "Kate, nice to see you. It's been awhile."

  "Since Burke's wedding, I think."

  "And now you're back for your sister's wedding. At least, all this love going around keeps the family in contact," he drawled.

  "It does do that," she agreed.

  "Have a seat," he said. "Emma has kept me up to date on what's going on. I've also been looking into Rick Baines for you. Emma suggested that there might be a connection between the recent fire at St. Bernadette's and some of Baines's former classmates."

  She nodded. "We went through the yearbooks, found a couple of people who were in pictures with Mr. Baines, but unfortunately they have not been easy to locate. What did you find out?"

  "Not a lot. I went through the old case files, read some of the initial interviews conducted both by the police department and the FBI. I decided to make a few calls and follow up on some of those witnesses, see if anyone remembers anything differently a year later."

  She was surprised Max had taken things so far but she really shouldn't be. When family was involved, the Callaways went the extra step. Max might only be a Callaway by marriage, but he'd been around long enough to know the drill. "Who did you talk to?" she asked.

  "Malcolm Homer. He was one of the four men who lived with Baines. He's since moved out of that apartment and lives in a studio. He said that he barely knew Baines. They'd occasionally talk while making coffee in the morning. The only friend he remembered Baines talking about was an old high school friend."

  "Did he give a name?"

  Max shook his head. "No, but he said that Baines had a new energy about him in the weeks before his death, that he said something about his old friend reminding him of his dream of becoming a firefighter, so he was looking into it again. He wanted to get out of the gym and get the job he'd always wanted."

  Emma joined them at the table with her salad. "That's not news, Max. That's why everyone latched on to Rick Baines as the arsonist. He had recently applied for the fire academy and rejected firefighters are often part of an arson profile."

  "That's true," Kate said. "But I'm more interested in who the high school friend was, because I think he could be the key."

  "The roommate told me that Baines used to go to a bar called Rebel, Rebel in the Mission," Max said. "I haven't had a chance to check it out yet, but that might be a place for you to start."